The ManyFeather Tale of Miss Gertrude McFuzz
by UltimateKawaiiGirl
Summary: Starting with that fateful fifteenth of May, we see Seussical from the point of view of none other than Miss Gertrude McFuzz. Part 1. There will be a sequel entitled All for You.
1. Chapter 1

It started as an ordinary day. Couldn't have been more ordinary, really. When I woke up that morning- the morning of the fifteenth of May- I had no idea that my life would change that very day, for the worse, but eventually for the better. Actually, first, it changed to confusing. Then hopeful. Then for the worse… and worse… and worse until it finally became wonderful. But that's beside the point. I'll get to all that later. So let's go back to that May 15th.

Sometime around noon, I was sitting in my living room- I think I was reading a book or something. My house wasn't much- just a little four-room tree house, with two of the rooms in the trunk, resting on top of each other, and the other two spreading out onto the branches, forming a sort of T shape. The tree itself was actually quite tall, though- one of the tallest in this area of the Jungle of Nool, actually. Whoever built the house must not have needed much space, but that was okay, because neither did I. From the outside, the tree's enormity compared to the small size of the house it contained made the whole thing look a bit awkward. I didn't mind, though. The decor was plain and simple with some slight touches of country-style, blue picnic-blanket-patterned throw pillows and all.

Anyway, I looked up from my book when I heard a loud "Humph!" I knew it must be the kangaroo who lived nearby. She'd always been rather disapproving and less than friendly. Wondering what was going on, I closed my book- oh, I remember now, I WAS reading- set it down, and opened my door to go outside and see. I couldn't get a single step out of my house, though, without being swept away by a huge crowd that had gathered. They were all shouting- all I could make out in the confusion was the word "fool." As the crowd moved forward, I was pushed to the back, and finally out of the sea of jungle residents. After I'd gotten my bearings- I hadn't expected this craziness when I walked out my door- I tried to peek through the crowd to see what the fuss was about. Having no luck, I took to the air. Now above the crowd, I saw that everyone was gathered around my next-door neighbor, an elephant named Horton. He seemed to be holding- was that a clover flower? Yes, yes it was. Everyone's voices were distinguishable now. "He's the biggest blame fool in the Jungle of Nool!" they chanted. I was suddenly angry. What had Horton done to make them talk about him that way? He'd never seemed the least bit foolish to me.

"Excuse me- what in the world is going on?" I asked the nearest crowd member. He kept taunting Horton, ignoring me completely. It wasn't the first time I'd been treated like I didn't exist, though, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Suddenly, I was pulled aside by a reporter in a strangely tall red-and-white-striped hat.

"What's your opinion on this elephant, miss? People on a speck of dust- could it be true, or is he simply a lunatic?" He shoved a microphone in front of my face.

"Um- I'm-" I stammered, caught off guard. "-I'm Gertrude McFuzz and I live right next door. He's never done anything crazy before… He's always been friendly, and loyal and kind- I just don't believe Horton's out of his mind."

The reporter rushed away and asked Mayzie, another bird who lived nearby, her opinion. "I'm Mayzie LaBird and I live in that tree," she said. "Enough about Horton- let's talk about me!"

"Yes, let's talk about her!" agreed three of Mayzie's friends, who referred to themselves as the Bird Girls.

The reporter did not, in fact, ask Mayzie any questions about herself. Instead he seemed to disappear as the rest of the jungle chanted, "Talking to a speck, talking to a speck, to a speck of dust!"

"I just have to save them, because, after all, a person's a person, no matter how small," I heard Horton say. That moved me so much that I joined in with him. "A person's a person, no matter how-"

"Biggest blame fool in the jungle of Nool!" everyone interrupted, shoving me roughly aside before I could finish. I stumbled, nearly falling face-first on the ground, but I barely noticed. I was in complete awe. Even with the scorn and ridicule of everyone else, Horton stuck by his beliefs, continuing to do what was right, to help people, even when no one would stand by him. It was truly noble. Amazing. Well, if Horton thought there were people on that speck of dust, then I wholeheartedly believed him. I watched him, feeling as if I were in a dream. My heart beat faster and faster. As the crowd finally dispersed, I decided I had to tell him how admirable I thought he was.

But then I stopped. I couldn't. I just couldn't.

I was much too plain to ever be able to impress someone as wonderful as that. He'd never notice me. I wasn't pretty, wasn't special. I was just an awkward little bird with a one-feather tail.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! One thing- I know the time that would pass between Gertrude hearing the "Humph!" and her leaving her house would not be enough time for the whole crowd to gather. I just wanted her to be swept away by the crowd, not knowing what was happening. Sorry it doesn't make sense; I'll find a better way later.


	2. Chapter 2

_What to do, what to do…? _I couldn't just give up, not so soon. I loved him. I know that sounds hasty, but it was true, I knew it was. I tried to list my good qualities to myself- someone like Horton, so sensitive and amazing, would be sure to see them. Unfortunately, I came up with nothing. Certainly nothing about my appearance- I was plain, not pretty- and my tail, of course. It was starting to bother me more and more lately. It was just so small and unattractive. But then, Horton wouldn't be completely focused on looks, would he? What's inside is what matters, isn't it? When I thought about this, though, I still came up with nothing the least bit impressive. I didn't have any particular talents. I wasn't a good artist or singer or writer or anything. And I wasn't amazingly selfless and compassionate like he was. What chance did I have? I didn't match up, nope, not even _close._ So not close that I couldn't even see his shadow from the point on the greatness scale where I stood. Was there any way to move myself a little forward so that I might have a chance? If there was, I needed to find it. And _soon._

* * *

I tried to talk to Horton a few times over the next few days, trying to maybe get a stronger friendship going as a starting ground, but I had no luck. I did manage to get a "Good morning, Gertrude," out of him once- even though it was only an offhand greeting, I felt so good when he said my name- but that was the only time he even seemed to notice I was there. But there was one time that really broke my heart.

I found him with the clover again that day, but he wasn't talking to the Whos- that was what the people who lived on the little dust-speck planet were called, I'd learned. He seemed sad. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I got nervous at the last minute, so I waited and watched him for a moment.

"I'm alone in the universe," he said softly. Now I understood- it was because no one believed him about the Whos! It must be awful to be ridiculed and shunned just for protecting something that no one else helped. Poor Horton. Still, how generous to protect them anyway! I decided I wouldn't be shy now. I needed to let him know I cared, that I believed him- that he had a friend.

"Horton, I believe you."

He didn't hear me, though. He'd now struck up a conversation with the Whos again. He was telling them of his loneliness.

_But you don't have to be lonely! You're not alone! You've got me! _I wanted to tell him. But he didn't seem to be hearing a word I said. So I simply flew back home, dejected. He needed a friend, I knew, and I wanted to help him- so why didn't he notice that I did? Maybe I just wasn't good enough. Maybe I wasn't the friend he needed.

A/N: Sorry for the extreme shortness of this chapter, but that seemed like a chapter end. And yes, she was there for Alone in the Universe. :P We were just seeing it as Horton did, and he didn't notice. Thanks to the people who reviewed, and to everyone reading this! More coming soon.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Yes, I know, it's been forever since I posted a new chapter of this story. Excuses: Writer's block, laziness, focusing on Metal Hearts, being at camp. Anyway... I'd like this chapter to be called The Words You Say In Your Head vs. The Words You Say Out Loud, but it's too long, and it only applies to a small portion of the chapter anyway. I changed Amayzing Mayzie a little bit, to make it a little more conversation-y. Anyway, here you go. Enjoy! (I want to post All For You. But this isn't over. XD)

* * *

There were so many words I said inside my head whenever Horton and I passed by each other- which was pretty often, us living next door to each other and all. They were all really straightforward, expressing-my-feelings kinds of things. But of course, I never really said them out loud.

Why was it so easy to think these things, and so hard to actually say them? Well, I knew we weren't there yet. We weren't even friends, really, just neighbors… Our conversations consisted of nothing but the occasional simple greeting. This was getting absolutely nowhere.

Well, no matter how hopeless my cause seemed, it was still too soon to give up.

I decided I had to stand out from the crowd a little more. If I did, he'd have to notice, say something, and then…. I didn't know what then. But I'd work that part out when I got there. I figured a good start was doing something about my tail.

I tried everything I could think of. No matter what I did, though, nothing changed. It was always small and unimpressive, and I always remained distinctly plain. I was just a nothing-but-me, blend-into-the-woodwork bird by nature, it seemed. How would I ever catch his eye?

I apparently hadn't noticed I'd been saying all this out loud- great, now even _I _didn't notice me- because just then, Mayzie appeared.

"Poor little Gertrude," she said. "A sorry sight. Well, I'm gonna take you under my wing, and baby, you'll be all right!"

I looked at her, puzzled- especially because she usually didn't speak to me much. Now suddenly she was acting like we were best friends.

"Lemme tell you a story," she began. "If you can believe it… I was once a plain little bird like you, kid!"

"Really?" I asked. Mayzie? Like me? It seemed impossible.

She nodded. "One pathetic feather was all I grew… I had nothing show-offish- what's a plain bird to do?" She struck a dramatically woeful pose. "And there's certainly nothing show-offish on you," she added.

"Thank you, Mayzie," I said a little sarcastically. I thought that addition was rather unnecessary. Still, though, she was so charismatic. She could make anyone believe anything. She practically had me under her spell- I was hanging on every word she said. I didn't know where she got that power, but it sure would be nice to have sometimes…

"Yep, that's right. There was a time when I was just like you. Plain as a wall. There was a time when I couldn't just have any guy I wanted."

"Go on."

"But then I made a plan for my self-improvement! No more crumbs, I vowed- I would have the cake! Yes, I went to the doctor."

"Dr. Dake by the lake!" the Bird Girls chimed in. Honestly, I didn't know their names. They never said them. I sometimes wondered if you had to abandon your name to be a part of Mayzie's group.

"And he told me what sort of a pill I should take!" Mayzie continued. "Now, I'm…. Amayzing Mayzie, as feathered as feather can be now! Amayzing Mayzie- it was all for sale!"

"Amayzing Mayzie!" the Bird Girls sang.

"The birds are all whistlin' at me now!"

"Amayzing Mayzie!"

"Baby, that's my tail!" She danced all around me, showing off her tail.

"I wish I had one like it," I said sincerely. Horton would have to notice me then.

"Then just get those pills, and you can have frills for all the world to see!" she told me. "And you can be amayzing… well, _almost _as amayzing as me!"

She and her friends sauntered off. They didn't go far, though- I ended up overhearing this conversation.

"But you were born fabulous, Mayzie," one of the Bird Girls said. "Why'd you tell her you were like her?"

"Sometimes the common people need to feel close to someone important. Makes 'em feel special. Besides, it wasn't all a lie. I know a bird whose friend's sister went to Dr. Dake. He's supposed to be good. She used to look like Gertrude there, now she's pretty stunning. I just tweaked the story a bit."

"Well, if Dr. Dake's that good, you'd better make sure she doesn't outshine you!" another one of the girls said.

"Outshine me? Impossible," Mayzie responded with a laugh. "Besides, she hasn't got it in her."

I _had _found that part of Mayzie's story a little unbelievable. But still, this Dr. Dake was apparently the real deal… Besides, I had nothing to lose. It was worth a try. I was going to go


End file.
